The tide shift here is 30-40 feet, and when the tide is out, the bottom of the inlet is exposed. Glacial silt makes for a quicksand-like surface. Once stuck, a person faces 30 feet of water rushing in on the next tide. I was well-warned to stay off the flats.
When we explored Hope, Alaska, and I was faced with the mystery and beauty of the mud flats, I understood all of the warnings. I had to force myself to only draw and photograph them, because their attraction was strong! Here's what I wrote on the left side of this sketch:
7.1.15 Turnagain Arm from Hope Spur.
Warnings in tour books (all) and from Roxanne: do not walk on the mud flats!
Their quicksand siren song is lovely. Come and explore my complex curves and rivulets.
Look into my puddles to see your future. Linger over grooves and cups,
hillocks and terraces simple and marvel at the symmetry.
The unspoken lyric remains that
the song ends in doom.
Here is a short film of Alaska's landscape and a song that ends beautifully.
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